A necktie (tie) is a long piece of cloth that is worn around a person's neck. It is designed and intended to rest under a shirt collar and is knotted at the throat. Neckties have been around hundreds of years and the modern necktie descends from a cravat (a piece of fabric worn around the neck and tied in place using strings). While the first neckties were many times solid colors or a white color and devoid of much color, the necktie overtime became more colorful and colors and designs became commonplace with neckties. For example, stripes and paisley patterns were some of the more common and popular designs.
There are a number of different types of neckties. For example, a cravat, as previously mentioned, was simply a brightly colored handkerchief fashioned of silk that was worn around a neck. A four-in-hand necktie originally was a simple, rectangular cloth strip cut on the square, with square ends. The term “four-in-hand” originally described a carriage with horses and a driver and it also referred to a gentlemen's club in London. Original wearers of this type of tie began knotting their ties with a four-in-hand knot. Over time, the four-in-hand knot and the four-in-hand necktie became synonymous and described the long tie or tie that we are familiar with in our culture. These types of ties come in a wide variety of different colors and patterns including, stripes and other decorative patterns, and also, they can come in solid colors.
A seven fold tie is a construction variant of the four-in-hand necktie. Conventionally, a square yard of silk (usually two or more pieces sewn together) is folded to seven sections of silk between the folds. The weight and body of the seven-fold tie derive exclusively from the layering of silk and its construction can be a time consuming task due to the intricate layering and folds. Seven fold ties set themselves apart from the everyday work tie with their superior construction. Each section of the tie is hand stitched with exquisite detail and constructed entirely out or the same silk fabric front to back.